Mandala: A Doorway Beyond Maya

How do we rise above the subtle illusions of the subconscious and return to the unity of pure consciousness?
The answer lies in the ancient science of the Mandala.

A Mandala is a pathway to reintegration.
It is a map of the cosmos — a symbolic universe in geometric form, distilled into its essential pattern.
It is the creative blueprint through which space is shaped, time unfolds, and the journey of becoming is transcended.

At the heart of the Mandala lies the lotus, often depicted with four or eight petals.
These petals represent the expansion from the One into the many — the unfolding of creation across space and time.
Through this symbolic blossoming, the Mandala reveals how the process of manifestation ultimately dissolves back into the stillness of unity.

Colors and the Persona

In a Mandala, colors are not mere decoration;
they express the very constituents of personality:

  • White represents Matter
  • Yellow symbolizes Sensation
  • Red expresses Notion
  • Green denotes Karma tendencies
  • Dark blue stands for Cognizance

Each color is a doorway into the inner architecture of being.

Five Elements of the Mandala

A Mandala embodies five subtle principles:

  • Shiva-tattva – pure Intelligence
  • Shakti-tattva – blissful Energy
  • Sadashiva-tattva – the power of Will
  • Ishvara-tattva – the radiance of Consciousness
  • Sadvidya – dynamic Activity

Together, they describe the unfolding of the cosmos and the soul’s ascent back into its origin.

From Bodhisattva to Buddha

When a Bodhisattva attains illumination, he becomes a Buddha.
He enters Nirvana — the vast stillness of pure being.

Buddhist philosophy describes this journey through four states of void:

  • Shunya (paratantra) – the foundational void
  • Atishunya (parikalpita) – the super-void of illusory appearance
  • Mahashunya (parinispanna) – the great void, the truth behind illusion
  • Sarvashunya – the absolute void, the universally luminous consciousness known as Vajradhara

Mandala is the script of this inner transformation.
It teaches that where once there was darkness, now there is light.
Its symbols echo the timeless Upanishadic prayer:
“Tamaso mā jyotir gamaya” — From darkness, lead me to light.

Names of the Cosmic Consciousness

Buddhist sages gave various names to this universal consciousness:

  • Tathāgatagarbha – the matrix of all Buddhas
  • Tathatā – the Absolute identity
  • Dharmadhātu – the ground of all phenomena
  • Dharmatā – the essence or “thingness” of everything

The Origin and Purpose

The philosophy of Mandala was born in India and later blossomed in Tibet.
Whether Indian or Tibetan, the Mandala artist follows a sacred tradition — a disciplined way of revealing the drama of the soul through symbols, colors, and geometric harmony.

Regards,
Geeta

Geeta

Certified Mandala Practitioner

Geeta Joshi Brahme is a certified Mandala practitioner at Nisargshala with 18 years of experience spanning academia and holistic healing. She holds an M.Phil., and Mandala therapy certification. After 15 years as a Commerce faculty member in Mumbai & Pune, she transitioned to holistic healing. Geeta conducts transformative Mandala Camps that guide participants through emotional healing and creative self-discovery.

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Comments

  • Neelima Karandikar

    It’s highly informative & beautifully written article.. almost enlightenmen for person like me (who has been hearing about Mandala Therapy for many years) really want to do it but somehow not successful in finding the time slot for it .. to which we call अजून योग जुळून नाही आला 🙂 Thank you so much Geeta Ma’am for sharing your valuable insights on this topic .. it’s profound knowledge 🙏🏼🪷

    • Thank you Neelima ji.I am glad you felt the connection with mandalas.See you soon..

  • Insightful article!

  • Such a profound ideal and thought, brought forth in such simple easily understandable explanations.
    No doubt you have an in depth knowledge and are in a state of consciousness beyond any doubt.
    do keep posting such thought provoking writeups

    • Thank you Neelima ji.I am glad you felt the connection with mandalas.See you soon..
      Thank you Sarang ji
      Thank you Ram sir for these kind words.

  • It’s so informative and powerful write up Geeta.Keep sharing.Mandalas are so powerful.

  • Muralikrishna

    A brilliant article excellently written, can be easily understood and interpreted. The write up clearly shows and demonstrates the indepth knowledge that you have got on this subject. Awaiting more interesting articles from you. All the very best and thank you. Really awesome

  • Thank you Murali for such kind review and appreciation.its really inspiring.

  • Pankaja Khanzode

    Very informative write up. Until now, I majorly looked at mandalas as art form even though i knew basics of this art form as therapy, but learnt lots of things from you now. i would definitely like to attend your workshop regarding this.

  • Thank you Pankaja for your review .See you soon at workshop

  • Thank you Pankaja..See you soon at mandala workshop

  • Excellent article and explained very nicely and in a simple way. It’s not at all easy to explain thought provoking matter in simple understandable terms. You’ve done great balancing on.both the fronts !

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